


Truth Or Dare?

by PrincessFreakinCastiel



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Cliffhangers everywhere, Dare, Eventual reveal, F/M, FanFiction.Net, Humor, Kissing, LadyNoir - Freeform, Marichat, Reveal Fic, Romance, Slow Burn, Truth or Dare, With a side of angst, adrienette - Freeform, confusing feelings, dj/wifi - Freeform, dont hate me pls, everyone's in love and stupid, i love these awkward teens, ladrien
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-18
Updated: 2016-11-18
Packaged: 2018-08-31 17:43:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8587846
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrincessFreakinCastiel/pseuds/PrincessFreakinCastiel
Summary: Marinette and Alya decide to play some truth or dare, but neither of them have any idea what they're getting themselves into. After all, it can be a dangerous game... especially with love on the line. Will this butterfly effect spiral out of control? Ship square. DJ/Wifi later on bc those two are too cute.Previously posted on Fanfiction.net.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, some of you may remember me from fanfiction.net. Don't worry, this story is not abandoned and I will still be posting on there as well. But I figured, for those of you who prefer ao3, I'd give it a shot. Anyway, enjoy this romantic train wreck. ;P

Chapter One: Truth or Dare

Alya Césaire was not a quitter. This was something Marinette knew quite well. Her best friend flashed a determined smile from the desk chair as Marinette lay sprawled across her chaise, a mischievous look on her face.

"Hm… what's the worst thing I can make you do without earning myself some karma?" she mused, smirking.

"It's truth or dare, Marinette. You're making this way too complicated. Nevertheless, I, the adventurous Alya, am always up for a challenge."

She leaned forward in her chair and raised an eyebrow. Her expression was a dare in and of itself. Truthfully the only reason Marinette was holding back was because Alya had leverage over her. The last thing she wanted to be dared was something like "Tell Adrien he looks cute today," or "Ask him out on a date".

The last time Marinette had tried anything of the sort had been… eventful, to say the least. Mortifying, to do it justice. And it was all Chat Noir's fault, honestly, for giving her false confidence and encouraging her. Why she'd thought trying to talk to Adrien in the first place had been a good idea, she had no clue.

* * *

  
It had been a pretty good morning. Defeating a particularly difficult akuma the night before with Chat had given her ego a boost. After it was purified and everything was restored to normal, they'd parted ways and she hid in an alley to detransform. Chat hadn't actually needed to use cataclysm, and so bowed farewell and sprung off into the night to do… whatever it was that giant cats did at night in Paris. He hadn't gone far enough though. On her way home, she nearly jumped out of her skin when she noticed him sitting on a swing set in the park she decided to cut through. It was too late to go around, he'd seen her...

"Evening, princess!" He called with a grin. "You're out a little past bedtime, don't you think?"

She rolled her eyes and joined him, sitting in the swing to his right. "I was just taking a walk before bed. And you, alley cat?"

He leaned back, holding the chains of the swing and sporting a satisfied smile. "Just finished saving Paris yet again with the help of my lovely leading Lady. Decided it's never too late to be a kid."

He kicked off from the ground and swung back and forth, his tail dragging the ground and his hair ruffling slightly with the movement.

Marinette smiled to herself to see him look so happy. She kicked off too and they swung in silence for a few minutes as her thoughts had wandered where they always wandered to…

"Something on your mind, princess?"

She jumped, having forgotten he was next to her, lost in thoughts of another blond boy with green eyes.

"What? N-no, I'm fine, it's nothing." She felt her cheeks suddenly flush and was grateful for the poor illumination from the streetlamp.

Chat Noir halted his swing and leaned over in the darkness, suddenly interested. He grinned in his most chesire way, poking her shoulder with a gloved claw.

"Really? Seems like it's not nothing to me. Don't think I can't see you blushing, cherie." He tapped the side of his mask with a smirk. "Don't you know cats can see in the dark?"

Damn. Marinette had forgotten about that, actually. She quickly thought of all the times he'd led her through dark places when she was Ladybug. She didn't know how she'd forgotten that, but she didn't let it get to her. Just who did this cat think he was, poking around in her business? She straightened her shoulders and shrugged.

"Not like you'd be much help anyway, kitty. I don't see you getting attention from your crush either."

They both blinked. Marinette quickly realized with a jolt that she'd used Ladybug's nickname for him without even thinking twice. That, and… that was kind of low of her to say. She paled a bit, instantly feeling guilty. Fortunately Chat saw the remorse on her face.

"It's okay," he shrugged, cutting her off. "You're right. But Ladybug is.. Ladybug. She's not exactly one's typical crush. I don't think this applies to her. Once her mind is set on something, it tends to stay set. Fortunately for you, most people aren't so stubborn. So tell me, this person. What are they like?"

Marinette was taken aback. She hadn't expected a response like that from Chat. It was incredibly honest and patient and she found herself wondering how much time he actually spent thinking about Ladybug and analyzing her personality.

She shrugged again. "Well… he's… cute. Really cute." Her cheeks turned red again as she continued. "He has green eyes, and blond hair-"

Chat smirked and gave an elaborate bow from his seat. "I'm flattered."

Marinette rolled her eyes and nudged his shoulder with a smile. "Sorry. Not you, you silly cat. He's actually… I'm sure you've seen his face everywhere. He's kinda all over the city." She stared out into the park and noticed in irony the perfectly placed Adrien Agreste poster next to a park bench. She blushed even harder.

Chat followed her eyes, looking out into the park and looking genuinely shocked when he noticed the poster too.

"N-not," he said in amazement, "Not the model, Adrien Agreste?" His cat eyes were wide with an emotion that Marinette couldn't place and she stared at him in puzzlement for a moment. Was it really that odd that she had a crush on the same model that thousands of other girls in Paris did too?

"Well… yes actually…" She gave a defeated sigh and looked at her shoes. "I know, I know. I don't stand a chance. I'm not much to look at, really. There are thousands of other girls prettier than me that he could have his pick of. My crush is unrealistic."

"Hey, hey, hey," said Chat suddenly, coming out of his train of thought. He lifted her chin with a gentle finger and cupped her face with his palm, forcing her to look him in the eyes. "Whoever said you weren't pretty?" He said quietly, his green, lamp-like eyes holding her gaze steadily.

Marinette didn't know why her heart skipped a beat.

* * *

  
"Hurry up," Alya complained, rolling her eyes. "Or you lose your turn by default and it goes to me."

"That's not in the rules!" Marinette protested.

"It's truth or dare, Mari. There are no rules." She straightened up with a gleam in her eye. "My turn, you took too long."

Marinette nearly gulped. She didn't like the look on Alya's face.

There was no telling where this would lead, but she wasn't about to back out.

"Truth or dare, Mari?"

"...Dare."


	2. Chapter 2: The Game Is On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which we all die a little on the inside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I hope you enjoyed chapter one! There are 13 completed chapters to this story and I am working on 14 currently. I will be uploading them all today, so I won't really need to include a lot of notes with them but I just wanted to let you know what was going on if you already subscribed and suddenly got a huge number of chapter notifications. Thanks for reading! Feel free to check out my cosplay Instragram at princessdiycosplay, or head over to my tumblr at PrincessFreakinCastiel.

Chapter Two: The Game is On

"Alya, please, I can't do this!" Marinette whined, tugging on her friend's sleeve in distress.

Alya rolled her eyes, pulling Marinette off of her blouse. "Whatever happened to "This coffee is so good I could do anything today" Marinette from ten minutes ago?"

Marinette groaned. "But that was ten minutes ago. I can't do this, I can't, you don't understand, Alya, you didn't see his face last week when I tried to- Eeep!"

With a squeak, she dove behind Alya and felt her face heat up like her papa's confectionary oven. She faced the other way, squeezing her eyes shut and hoping he wouldn't notice her. She covered her face. _Oh god, he's coming this way, he's coming this way, I'm not readyyyy, oh mon dieu…_

"Hey, Ayla!" Said a perfect, warm, sunshiney voice from somewhere in front of them. "Have you seen…" he broke off in what sounded like amusement and concern, circling around Alya, and she felt a gentle hand rest on her shoulder. "Marinette?"

Oh, god. She peeked open her eyes slowly and they grew wide. If her face wasn't already red, it certainly was now.

Staring at her with the most gorgeous green eyes on the face of the planet, the most wonderfully kissable lips, the most perfectly sculpted face, the most beautiful hair ever, and the smoothest skin alive, was none other than Adrien Agreste.

Oh, mon dieu.

"-even hear what I just said? Are you okay? You look like you've just seen a ghost." His perfect lips were drawn into a frown of concern.

Not a ghost, she thought. An angel.

"Marinette." He took her by the shoulders, gently squeezing them in worry.

She jumped and squeaked out, "Y-yes!" Her ears were burning with embarrassment. Distantly she heard Alya stifling laughter. Adrien didn't seem to be paying attention to her. His eyes were fixed on Marinette's own blue ones, searching them for the source of the trouble. He was so caring…

 _Kill me now_... she thought to herself.

"What?" Adrien looked genuinely aghast. "Kill you? Marinette, what's wrong?"

"Oh my god!" She shrieked, hands flying to cover her mouth. "I said that out loud?"

She heard Alya snort.

Adrien finally looked away from Marinette, giving Alya a glare, much to her surprise.

"Alya, don't laugh, this could be serious. Marinette could be in shock from something."

"Yeah, from your perfect green eyes," Marinette heard her mutter under her breath, once Adrien's eyes were back on her. He seemed to make up his mind about something.

"That's it, I'm taking you to the school nurse," he said firmly, starting to lead her by the hand. "You are definitely not okay."

"B-But! Math! The… uh… quiz!" She squeaked. "We only j-just got back f-from… lunch!"

"Regardless," Adrien said gently, still leading her slowly away from Alya, who looked very amused. "Something is wrong with you, and I need to make sure you're okay. You're my friend, Marinette. Friends are more important than any stupid quiz."

Marinette was at a loss for words. She sputtered helplessly as Adrien lead her to the nurse's office.

She glanced over her shoulder at Alya for help.

"Don't forget the dare!" Alya mouthed to her, winking. She headed to class.

Marinette wished the ground would swallow her whole, but at the same time, Adrien's hand felt so nice… he really cared.

_Oh, mon dieu._

* * *

  
"I dare you to kiss Adrien Agreste," Alya said with a satisfied smirk.

Marinette gasped. "Alya, no! I can't do that! I'll die! And besides that, he'll never even give me the time of day again! He'll hate me for tainting his perfect lips with my commoner's mouth! I'll have to change schools, get a new name, move out of Paris, fake my own death-"

"Shut up!" Alya laughed, interrupting her tirade of despair. "First of all, Adrien's not going to hate you. Are you kidding me? The guy is still nice to Chloe after her countless disgusting advances. Of course he'll speak to you afterwards. Maybe," she giggled, "even to tell you that he likes you back. Or that you're a good kisser."

"Alya!"

"Chill out, girl." She gave Marinette a comforting pat on the head. "And commoner's mouth? Please. Ask Nathanael what he thinks of your lips. They looked pretty pink and perfect in his sketchbook." She winked.

"Ughhhhhhhhhh," Marinette groaned. "Fine, you win… But you have to help me. I have no idea how to get him alone. And write me some lines or something. Oh god I have no idea how to do this."

With a sigh, she flopped back onto the chaise, but her flop had too much momentum and the next thing she knew she was laying on the ground, dizzy, with her feet sticking up in the air and her legs against the side of the chaise.

Alya laughed, and Marinette heard a tiny voice coming from inside her collar whisper along with Alya's words.

"Oh, Marinette."

* * *

  
"Oh, Marinette," Adrien sighed as the girl tripped over her own shoe laces in the hallway. He caught her before she could fall, and rested his hands on her shoulders for a moment. They were almost to the nurse's office, but he was really worried. She looked like she was about to cry. Her face was very red and she bit her lip anxiously, a nervous habit he'd noticed before.

Adrien was concerned. Marinette was always very shy and awkward around him, but she'd hardly said a word to him the whole walk there. Not that she typically said much to him anyway. She was always very nice, but he couldn't help wondering just what exactly he'd done to make her so uncomfortable and afraid of him. It troubled him deeply. Marinette was a good friend.

"Are you okay?" He said softly, looking into her big, beautiful blue eyes. "You're kinda worrying me."

"What?" She asked in amazement. "W-worrying.. Y-you?"

He felt a pit of anxiety form in his stomach at her words. Did she not know that he actually cared about her? Had he failed her as a friend? Why was she surprised that he was worried about her health?

He took his hands from her shoulders and looked away, uncomfortably.

"... You sound surprised."

"Well… I… am…" she mumbled.

The pit grew deeper. He glanced at her anxiously.

"I'm sorry."

"Sorry?" She said, even more amazed than before. "B-but why? You haven't d-done anything…"

"Am I really that bad of a friend?" He turned back to her and gave her a pained smile. "You didn't even know I cared. What did I say or do to make you so afraid to be yourself with me, Marinette? I know you're not normally a shy girl. I see the way you talk to Alya and Nino and even stand up to Chloe when she goes too far. Do you not… like me?"

"Like you?" Marinette gasped. She put her hands on his chest and he looked up at her. Her face had turned white.

"Did I offend you?'

"No!"

"Embarrass you?"

"No! I- I embarrass myself…"

"Hurt you?" He grimaced. "I'm so, so sorry, Marinette, I-"

"No! You haven't done anything wrong!" She insisted, looking horrified.

"Then... what is it?" He felt a little better but still uneasy. Her blush was back with full force. Her hands still hadn't moved from his chest. He wondered if she could feel his heart beating fast with anxiety.

Her mouth was open, but no words were coming out. He had never noticed she had so many freckles before.

"I… I…"

A strange look came into her eyes. Her bright, beautiful, blue eyes…

Her lips trembled, and his heart beat faster. His hands somehow found her waist of their own accord, and he didn't know how they got there. Those pink, soft lips were so close.

She was leaning in closer and closer, her eyes still locked on his, and he found himself pulled like a magnet. Their lips were almost touching and he had no idea why, oh god what was he doing, this was Marinette, not Ladybug, but she looked so pretty…

"Miss Dupain-Cheng? Mr. Agreste?"


	3. Love's A Walk In The Park

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Adrien makes plans.

Chapter 3: Love's a Walk in the Park

Marinette screeched and slipped backwards, her body hurtling towards the floor, but Adrien caught her. She blushed a deep crimson and quickly straightened up, turning to face Mme. Lesage, the school nurse, who looked incredibly unimpressed with the whole scene. Marinette's stomach flipped.

_I almost kissed Adrien. And she saw it… OH NO, Adrien!_

She glanced over her shoulder, mortified, and saw that Adrien was… blushing? He was almost as red as she was! What-

"Miss Cheng, did either of you need something?" Her thin lips were drawn into an even thinner grimace, and her eyebrow was slightly raised.

"N-No-" Marinette began to stutter, but Adrien interrupted her.

"She was acting really weird and I thought maybe she was sick, or had heat stroke or something. She was very red…"

As if on cue, Marinette blushed again. "Well, I-"

Madame Lesage rolled her eyes at Adrien and sighed.

"Mister Agreste," She began, brushing the wisps of hair that had fallen out of her auburn bun away from her face. She gave a slight smile. "While it was certainly kind and noble of you to escort Miss Dupain-Cheng, she does not appear to be ill in the physical sense. Nor is she displaying any visible signs of heat stroke, which is not surprising considering that it is only 68 degrees outside. If you wanted to spend some time alone with her, I'm sure you needed only to ask. It appears," she continued with a twinkle in her eye, "that she would certainly not be opposed."

Adrien stood there, his mouth open and his eyes wide. He made no sound. Marinette swore she could feel her soul leaving her body…

"Nevertheless," Mme. Lesage continued, "As both of you are missing school work at this moment I suggest that you get to class. Is that understood?" She raised a stern eyebrow.

"Y-yes," Marinette breathed.

"Understood, Madame," Adrien murmured. He blushed and wouldn't meet Marinette's eyes. She didn't know whether to cry or feel grateful.

The pair of them turned and began walking back down the hall. Behind them Marinette heard Mme. Lesage's door close once more. She felt it like a pang in her stomach.

_Oh no, how am I ever going to face him again, I've messed up everything, absolutely everything and I'll never have another chance and Alya was wrong, he's going to hate me and I really will have to move out of Paris except I can't because I have to be Ladybug and Papa and Maman have the bakery and oh god I just have to get over this-_

"M-Marinette?"

She glanced up in shock. This time it was Adrien who was stuttering. He quickly looked away, a slight blush tinging his cheeks.

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Marinette whispered, not knowing what to say. _Here comes the part where he tells me we can't be friends anymore…_

"Um, I- I have a photo shoot after school but after that I'm free. Do you want to maybe… talk?" He was still avoiding her gaze, looking steadily ahead.

Marinette blinked in surprise. "Oh… yes! I mean… sure, okay, if you want to that is, because I- I uh, understand if-"

Adrien laughed and she stopped short. He finally turned to look at her.

"Mari, I'm not mad, if that's what you're thinking. You worry too much."

"I could say the same about you," she retorted, a bit of Ladybug's confidence coming through. "W-why do you worry so much that you're a bad friend?"

She glanced down and back up at him. He seemed a bit surprised and a little thoughtful.

"Tell you what," he said at last, "meet me in the park down the street from the bakery. Say around… 5:00?"

When Marinette didn't respond he waved a hand in front of her face. "Hellooo, anyone in there?" He smiled.

"Sure," Marinette exhaled. "Yeah I'll um, I'll bring some cookies or something."

_Oh mon dieu, is this really happening?_

"Great," he beamed. "Your mom makes the best cookies. I don't usually get to eat sweets. Model's diet, y'know?" He scratched the back of his neck bashfully. "Anyway, we should get to class. I'm sure math is over by now."

"Oh! Right! Yes! Class! Good idea," she stammered.

They walked the rest of the way in silence, quietly stealing glances at the other when they thought they weren't looking. Marinette felt anxious, but she couldn't help but smile. It hadn't been a total disaster.

* * *

"He did what?!" Alya exclaimed.

It was after school. The girls were sitting in Marinette's bedroom, Alya's math notes spread across the floor and Marinette's notebook was open to a blank page but neither of them were actually studying. In fervent detail, Marinette had recounted everything that had happened since Adrien dragged her away.

"He asked me to meet him!" Marinette exploded. "Alya, what does this mean?! I thought he would hate me, I didn't expect him to want to TALK about it! Oh my god, what do I say… He's going to ask me why I tried to kiss him!"

"You should be asking him why he tried to kiss back." Alya snorted.

"Alya! I- I don't think he was thinking about it, I think he was just frozen, he would have pushed me away the second I touched his lips," Marinette lamented ruefully. "Oh, I've really gotten myself into a mess."

Alya laughed and threw her pencil at Marinette's leg.

"Ow," she half-complained. "What was that for?"

"For being blind," Alya smirked. "Girl, just go for it! And you know you'll have back up if you need it. I'm not letting you do this by yourself. I'll hide and watch. If you need me, the code word is tiki."

"Tikki?" Marinette squeaked, and she felt her kwami stir anxiously inside her shirt pocket. "Why...uh… that… word?"

Her heart started pounding. Did Alya know?!

Alya shrugged. "I was watching High School Musical 2 last night. You know the Princess Tiki song? Anyway it's an odd enough word that I'll recognize it when you say it."

Marinette sighed, relieved. "True. Okay. I guess I can do this. You'll just have to be in ladyblogger stealth mode. Don't make it weird."

_Thank goodness. My secret's still safe._

"Mari! Alya! Do you girls want some cookies?" Mrs. Cheng called from downstairs.

They jumped up instantly, the warm aroma of snickerdoodles meeting their noses.

"Coming, Maman!" Marinette yelled back.

They raced down the stairs, grinning. Alya reached the kitchen counter first, Marinette panting along behind her. Her friend turned to look at her with a teasing smile.

"Girl, you need to get in shape! Stop spending so much time indoors at your sewing machine and get outside more!"

She stuck out her tongue.

Internally, Marinette rolled her eyes.

_Trust me, I'm a lot faster in the suit…_

"How are you so fast?" She groaned instead, smiling and taking a big bite of cookie.

Mrs. Cheng smiled fondly at them both.

Alya giggled and put on a proud smirk. "Well I have to be fast to keep up with Ladybug and Chat Noir, don't I?"

Marinette grinned. "Yeah, you're pretty good at that."

She gave Alya a friendly poke.

"So girls, how is your school work coming?" Mrs. Cheng smiled.

"Oh, it's... coming…" said Marinette carefully.

Her mother gave her a knowing smile. "I see."

Marinette blushed. "Sorry Maman, we were talking about something important."

_Adrien!_

"Oh no, what time is it?" She asked hurriedly.

"4:50, cherie. Do you need to take some cookies with you to the park?"

Marinette gasped.

"How did you-"

Mrs. Cheng rolled her eyes and looked at Alya. "She thinks her lovestruck ranting is quiet."

Alya laughed out loud, coughing and nearly choking on her cookie. "She does," she gasped.

"Hey!" Marinette snapped. "I'm right here you know." She could feel her cheeks heating up again.

Mrs. Cheng smiled and kissed her daughter's forehead. "I'm only teasing, cherie. Now take some cookies to meet that boy of yours. He's entirely too skinny," she added as an afterthought, a slight frown on her face.

Soon the girls were racing down to the park. When they had nearly reached it, Alya went around the other way and found some bushes to hide in. She winked and pulled out a tiny set of binoculars from her book bag.

Marinette rolled her eyes and kept on running.

5:05.

There he was, sitting on one of the swings. His back was to her and he hadn't noticed her yet. His hair waved gently in the slight breeze, shining gold in the sunlight.

She felt butterflies take flight in her stomach. At that thought she smiled anxiously and prayed that Hawkmoth decided to take the afternoon off. The last thing she needed was an akuma attack in the middle of her date.

_Wait. DATE? Why did I think date?! This isn't a date!_

"Don't worry, Marinette. It'll be okay," said Tikki soothingly from her pocket. The little kwami floated out to give her a little kiss on the cheek.

"Tikki," Marinette whisper-groaned. "This is so awkward. First of all this is the exact place where Chat convinced me to talk to him in the first place. Secondly, Alya is going to be watching, and what if I say your name on accident? She'll think I need rescuing!"

"Marinette." Tikki shook her head with a smile. "Trust me. I have a good feeling about this. I think luck is on your side."

Marinette sighed. "Okay. Fine. Let's do this."

The little kwami zoomed back into her pocket and gave her a friendly pat from inside.

She walked closer.

* * *

Adrien gripped the chains of the swing anxiously. Why had he asked her to meet here? What if it felt too familiar to her?

His mind wandered back to that night in the park, where they had sat in these very same swings.

* * *

Her blue-black hair shimmered under the streetlight. Her lips were drawn into a sad frown, her eyes downcast. She sighed.

"I know, I know. I don't stand a chance. I'm not much to look at, really. There are thousands of other girls prettier than me that he could have his pick of. My crush is unrealistic."

Chat blinked in surprise. How could she not see how pretty she was? It wasn't like he had never thought about it, as Adrien… but in the end, the thought of Ladybug had always pulled his feet back to the ground.

But here she was, nearly heartbroken over him, believing that she wasn't beautiful. He couldn't stand it, consequences be damned.

"Hey, hey, hey," said Chat suddenly, coming out of his train of thought. He lifted her chin with a gentle finger and cupped her face with his palm, forcing her to look him in the eyes. "Whoever said you weren't pretty?"

* * *

"You're an idiot," Plagg said smugly, his mouth full of cheese, as usual. "She's going to recognize you and then we're done for."

"Plagg, be quiet, she could be here any moment," Adrien whispered, annoyed. "Get back in my pocket."

"Fine, fine!" He sighed dramatically, and swallowed the rest of his cheese whole with a big bite. "But don't say I didn't warn you," he said with a sing-song voice as he zipped into the teen's pocket.

"A-Adrien?"

He turned, sighing inwardly. Plagg had hidden just in time. He put on a bright smile.

"Hello, Marinette."


	4. You Swing My Head Right Round (Right Round)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Marinette gets crumbs in her hair and a bad case of butterflies.

 

Chapter 4: You Swing My Head Right Round (Right Round)

"Hi, A-Adrien!" Marinette beamed, looking slightly flustered. Adrien wondered if she'd been running.

He smiled to himself. This girl was a mess, but a cute one.

As soon as he thought it he could just hear Plagg's whiny voice singing "I told you so," so he decided to drop that train of thought.

"Do you want to sit down?" Adrien asked politely, gesturing towards the other swing. Inwardly he cursed this whole idea.

_We're literally sitting in the same exact swings… this is just asking for trouble._

He coughed slightly, trying to shake the nerves from his voice. Marinette looked a bit like a smiling tomato. Poor girl. This wasn't easy for either of them.

Trying to break the ice, he sniffed the air a bit.

"You smell really nice. Like cookies."

_FUCK. That was creepy. God, that is not what I meant to say… why did I sniff her?_

Marinette beamed and looked a bit dazed as she pulled a bag of cookies out of her backpack.

"Snickerdoodles. I knew they were your f-favorite, you s-said so in the March edition of-" She froze, and quickly backpedaled. "I mean… Nino told me…"

Adrien was trying very, very hard not to laugh. He wasn't surprised she had read all of his magazine articles. Instead he smiled and opened the bag.

Instantly the delicious aroma of cookies filled his nose and he actually felt himself sighing, "You're the best," right before shoving a cookie unceremoniously into his mouth. Vaguely he wondered if he was being rude and blushed, slightly embarrassed.

"Sawhreh," he attempted through a mouthful of snickerdoodle.

Marinette's sweet laughter soon filled the air. She giggled and clutched the chains of her swing, curling over in laughter.

"Y- your face!" She gasped, laughing harder. "You look like a guilty cat or something."

Suddenly Adrien choked on his cookie, crumbs flying out of his mouth (some of them landing in Marinette's hair). He gasped and tried to cover it up with his nervous laughter.

"Oh my g-god, Marinette, I am so- sorry," he coughed out, embarrassed. He put down the bag of cookies and looked in despair at the crumbs in her dark pigtails.

She sat there looking stunned and red, and slightly concerned.

"You okay?" She said with a small smile, daring to pat him on the back.

"Here, let me help you," he muttered, brushing his hands over her hair shyly. It was really really… soft.

"Uh… thanks," Marinette said quietly, still looking dazed.

Adrien got the last of the crumbs out and awkwardly pulled back his hands, returning them to the swing chains.

"So… uh… Marinette…"

Adrien felt his heartbeat pick up a little bit. Why was he getting flustered? Inwardly he felt a pang of guilt about Ladybug, but he brushed it aside. They did need to talk. He just didn't know what to tell her without crushing her feelings… He did like her, but Ladybug… Ladybug was his everything. What if he never got the chance to be with her because of Marinette? The thought was enough to give him a little resolve.

"Y-yeah, Adrien?"

"About earlier…"

* * *

Marinette could feel the panic starting to set in.

_He's going to say it, oh no, oh no! Can't we just sit here and eat cookies?_

"Oh," she looked away, anxious. "I-I'm really s-sorry for worrying you, I just- you see- well I- um... "

_Fuck. This isn't going well at all._

"Yes?" Adrien prompted gently. He looked a little uncomfortable but she could tell he was trying to make this easier for her.

"Iwasn'tsickIwasjustnervous!" She blurted, looking away. "Y-you um… it was very nice of you to t-take me to the nurse's office… b-but I was fine…"

She dared to glance at him and he didn't look too alarmed so she hesitantly continued, "I-um-the hallway… And the… Oh god I'm so sorry!"

She covered her face in despair, and felt Adrien's hand lay on her shoulder comfortingly.

"Um… Marinette, it's okay. Actually I have to tell you s-something."

Slowly she looked up, wide-eyed, to stare at him nervously. He had something to tell her? Her heart started beating even faster and she shivered even though it was quite warm out. He hesitated, and the anticipation was frankly killing her. Finally he spoke, in a hushed tone, not looking at her.

"I… I know you like me. It's… Not hard to see, really." He paused, thinking. "I don't mind it. In fact, I… I think it's cute."

_I'm dead or dreaming. This can't be happening! CUTE?! Adrien Agreste thinks something I do is cute?_

Marinette's brain was practically whirring with thoughts. Everything was happening so fast. She almost couldn't breathe, and she definitely couldn't speak.

Adrien glanced up to see her in shock and he slightly smiled.

"I'm sorry I tried to kiss you back."

Marinette finally found a tiny bit of her voice. "No p-problem!" She choked out in a high pitch.

And then those gorgeous green eyes that shone like summer grass in the dew of the morning glanced away sadly.

"I'm really sorry, Marinette. I do like you, but… There's.. Ah…" He cleared his throat. "S-someone I've liked for a long time, and… I'm so sorry," he broke off in a small voice.

_Someone he's liked for a long time. Someone… Else. Someone… That's not… Me. Oh…_

Marinette felt her heart breaking. Of course it wasn't her. Why would Adrien Agreste choose her when he could have any girl in Paris? She was an idiot for even trying.

"Marinette," Adrien prompted, "Are- are you okay? I'm sorry… Maybe if things were different…" His voice faltered and she finally looked at him again.

She was strangely composed.

"It's fine." Marinette replied calmly. "I understand." For once she wasn't stuttering.

She hardly registered the wetness on her cheeks.

"Marinette," he sad in sad alarm, "you're crying."

She felt his fingers brushing the tears from her cheeks and she pushed them away, slightly irritated.

"I said it was fine."

She pretended she wasn't feeling the hole in her chest crack open wider, sucking her dreams down into its shadowy abyss.

She didn't dare to look at him. Marinette knew he would look hurt. He would feel guilty. He was so damn nice. He was too perfect, and that was the problem. She wasn't. How could she ever have dared to think things could work out? He brought her here to friend zone her. To try and let her down easy. He knew she wouldn't want to do that at school. He was trying to spare her the embarrassment of getting rejected in front of their classmates…

_Damn you, Adrien Agreste._

Why was she so angry?

"Marinette!" Adrien cried, jumping out of his swing. "Move!"

Alarmed, she looked up, just in time to see a sparkling little black and purple butterfly heading straight towards her. Suddenly she felt Adrien's arms around her stomach as he picked her up and carried her backwards away from the akuma.

"Marinette!" Came a slight squeak from her shirt, where Tikki had been hiding instead of in her purse so she could listen better to her conversation with Adrien.

Marinette panicked and pushed Adrien's arms off of her, backing up even further.

"Tikki!" She cried, not even thinking, "Run!"

"Adrien is still looking!" Came the squeak from her pocket. "I don't have to leave, just run, we can transform!-"

"Marinette, I know it hard but you need to think happy thoughts, and run!" Yelled Adrien, ignoring her senseless outburst and grabbing her hand.

They took off in a sprint, the akuma keeping steady pace behind them. Marinette didn't even have time to think about him holding her hand.

_I need to get away and transform!_

"Marinette!" Came an alarmed voice from beside her. Alya had joined their running. "Don't give in, you can't let Hawkmoth use you!"

"Alya?" Adrien asked in surprise, "when did you get here?"

"I came to get Marinette," she lied quickly, "her parents want her home."

The three of them were still running, and distantly Marinette realized they were running the direction of home.

"You two need to get out of here," she snapped. "You're only putting yourself in danger-"

"Nonsense!" Snapped Adrien, who firmly tightened his grip on her hand.

"Are you kidding me?" Alya retorted, "We're taking you home and you're going to stay inside until that damn butterfly goes and finds someone else to pick on!"

They were almost to the bakery. Marinette glanced behind them and gasped. She didn't know akumas could be so fast.

Just as they reached the street corner she tripped on the curb. Without missing a beat, Adrien scooped her up in his arms and carried her the rest of the way to the bakery, with her protesting the whole time that she could run by herself, but God, her ankle really hurt.

Alya wrenched open the door, scaring a few customers, and they dashed inside. She slammed the door behind them just in time to trap the little akuma outside the glass. With a cry she locked the door triumphantly.

"Ha! Go find someone else to make your puppet, Hawk Sloth! You're too slow!"

Carefully, Adrien set Marinette down and she apologized to the customers next to her.

"Marinette!" Her mother cried. "What is the meaning of this!?"

"I'm sorry, Maman, I-" she began, tears starting to fall once more.

Adrien interrupted her. "It was Hawkmoth! And it's… kind of my fault…" He glanced away from Marinette guiltily, and continued, "it's a long story. I'm sorry for scaring your customers."

"Well," Mrs. Dupain-Cheng said, alarmed. "I'm glad my daughter is alright, regardless. Thank you both."

Marinette felt like she was on the outside looking in. None of this felt real.

"I don't.. Feel so good…" She whispered.

And then there was black.

 


	5. A Kwami's Lament

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Plagg and Tikki tease us with backstory hints.

Chapter 5: A Kwami's Lament

Adrien was furious with himself. He had nearly caused an akuma attack. Marinette was nearly a victim! And now she probably hated him for rejecting her, too.

_Ugh!_

It was all wrong… This wasn't how the day was supposed to go.

Angrily he punched his pillow and rolled over, restless. He couldn't sleep.

After Marinette had passed out (he was fortunate enough to catch her as she fell) her father carried her into the living room and they woke her up with a little bit of water. Mrs. Cheng was on the verge of tears as Mr. Dupain checked her eyes with a flashlight and wrapped a blanket around her. She had insisted she was fine, she just had a little headache and she wanted to sleep it off. Adrien had apologized to her parents one last time and left as calmly as he could, but he couldn't erase the hurt way her eyes pierced him from his mind.

He hadn't bothered to call Nathalie to pick him up. He just didn't want to be in the stifling quiet of the Agreste limo with only the occasional grunting of Gorilla at irresponsible drivers to break the silence. No. He would rather walk.

So he did. As he shuffled home he tried to avoid crowded places where it was possible someone would recognize and stop him for an autograph or a picture. He really hadn't been in the mood.

It took him a little while to get there but he arrived at the Agreste manor just in time. A few drops of rain had splashed his cheeks and he bitterly wiped them away, thinking of Marinette's blue eyes full of tears as he stomped up the stairs and down the hall to his room.

He was an idiot.

Now he lay in bed, desperately trying to sleep at 1:00 in the morning. Tomorrow was Saturday and he had a photoshoot at 8:00. He really needed to sleep.

After a few more attempts, he gave up.

Glancing across the room, he saw Plagg settled comfortably on a little pillow Adrien had angrily thrown from his bed when he arrived. The little black kwami's gentle snores quietly filled the room.

Plagg had uttered a few "I told you so's" that had been more than deserved, but after realizing how upset Adrien actually was about hurting Marinette's feelings, he had softened his tone.

* * *

"Listen, kid. Girls are complicated and teenage life is hard. It's always been that way. Trust me, I've handled plenty of hopeless saps like you before. And," he added, nibbling on a square of cheese, "I've had some experience in the girl department myself."

"You?" Adrien scoffed, raising his eyebrow. "Girls like who?"

Plagg didn't seem offended by Adrien's skepticism. He answered smoothly, with a bit of a sigh, "Girls like Tikki," before chomping down the whole block of Camembert.

"Tikki?" Adrien raised his head from his pillow curiously. "Is she another kwami like you?"

Plagg smirked. "Not just any kwami. She's Ladybug's kwami."

Adrien's eyes grew wide. He was always eager to learn more about Ladybug, and usually Plagg kept his mouth shut about this kind of thing. It was rare to get him to reveal any details about his secrets.

"Oh… What's she like?" He asked, trying to smother his eagerness with a calm tone.

Plagg shrugged. "Tikki is… Tikki. Do you have any more Camembert lying around?"

He zoomed about the room, checking under cushions and books, and finally found a block he had forgotten about, tucked underneath Adrien's bed.

Adrien wrinkled his nose in mild disgust and rolled his eyes.

"Great description. I feel like I already know her."

Plagg shoved the cheese down whole and let out a tiny belch. "No need to sound so sassy. You're becoming that… What do you call it… A meme? The one with the frowning cat?"

Adrien snorted. Grumpy cat. Nino still sent him those. God, that meme was old.

"Anyway," Plagg continued, "My advice to you is this. Don't let things come between you and this girl. I know you're all hung up over Ladybug but trust me, kid, you're better off with what's right in front of you. Marinette clearly has feelings for you. And even if you just want to be friends, which," he rolled his eyes, "I'm not so sure about, you still need to make things right. Take my advice. Don't let one bad moment ruin a friendship. Or a relationship. Tikki and I… Well let's just say I messed up. It was a long time ago. Hundreds of years, actually. But if I had just apologized, maybe we would still be talking."

Adrien studied his kwami's face in mild surprise and concern. He so rarely showed his emotion. The only expression of feeling he frequented was annoyance at hunger. But now Plagg looked sad. And if Adrien didn't know better, he would think he looked slightly misty eyed.

But then it was gone as soon as it came. Plagg shrugged his shoulders, sprawled out on a pillow and yawned.

"I think it's time for our cat nap."

* * *

1:38. Still no sign of sleep.

With a slight sigh, Adrien pulled out his phone and scrolled through his contacts, debating, finally selecting Nino's name and beginning to type a message.

[Adrien: Hey man. You up?]

A few minutes later, to Adrien's surprise, his phone lit up with a new message.

[Nino: yo dude what's up]

[Adrien: Well, honestly I need some advice. I messed up…]

[Nino: alya already told me everything. what are u gonna do abt mari]

Adrien sighed. Of course she had filled him in. They were always talking.

[Adrien: I don't know. She was really upset. I'm not sure how to make things right again. I hated hurting her feelings.]

[Nino: what was w/ that anyway bro, ur crazy. mari is amazing. alya ships it.]

Adrien rubbed his eyes in frustration. He was too tired to explain this.

[Adrien: I just think we should be friends.]

[Nino: aight man ur loss tho tbh. Idk maybe get her a card or flowers or something bc chicks dig that shit]

[Adrien: What if that gives her the wrong impression?]

[Nino: hm maybe u should be talking to Alya abt this instead of me dude after all they are bffs or whatevs]

[Adrien: Hm, maybe you're right. I'll talk to her tomorrow. You should get some sleep.]

[Nino: u too bro peace sorry I wasn't much help]

[Adrien: Goodnight, Nino :) it's fine.]

[Nino: gg goodnight :P]

Adrien plugged his phone in to charge and gently tossed it down on the bed. That was nearly pointless. Although maybe Nino was right about Alya. He hoped so.

With one last look at his clock, which read 2:00 am, Adrien closed his eyes and finally drifted off to sleep.

* * *

When Marinette woke up the next morning, Tikki was still resting against her cheek on her pillow. The little kwami had fallen asleep softly singing a song Marinette didn't know and brushing the tears away from her ladybug's eyes.

Tikki was so sweet.

Gently she rolled over, careful not to disturb her too much, and picked up her phone.

To her surprise, it was already almost noon. Wow, her parents had let her sleep in. Maybe they didn't need much help today. Or maybe they were just worried about her bad day yesterday.

Yesterday…

Marinette covered her face. Adrien… The akuma… Passing out in front of everyone…

The day could not have gone worse.

She, Ladybug, had almost been akumatized. What a disaster that would have been. And it was all her fault for letting her feelings about Adrien get out of control.

She… Loved him. And he… Well he loved someone else.

As much as it tortured her, she couldn't help but rack her brains for who the lucky girl might be. No one from their class, she decided. She would have noticed. Maybe it was one of the models he worked with… Maybe they were secretly dating.

"Ugh," she groaned, covering her face with the blanket.

Marinette didn't stand a chance.

"Marinette?" Came Tikki's sweet voice from beside her. She felt the little kwami gently tug the blanket away from her face.

"Oh I'm sorry Tikki, I didn't mean to wake you up," Marinette said softly, stroking Tikki's cheek with a slender finger.

"It's fine," Tikki murmured sleepily, and kissed her forehead. "How are you feeling?"

Marinette sighed. "Not much better than yesterday but my headache is gone if that's what you mean."

Tikki looked thoughtful and empathetic.

"I know how hard it is to be rejected by someone you love," she murmured, brushing a strand of Marinette's hair away from her eyes.

Those eyes widened.

"You do?"

"In a way, yes," she hummed, lost in memory. "I was in love once too, you know."

Marinette was slightly surprised, but then, why should she be? Surely kwamis had relationships too.

"Tell me about it," Marinette replied with a slight smile.

"Well," Tikki sighed with a dreamy look in her eye, "His name is Plagg. He's a miraculous kwami like me."

Briefly Marinette marveled at her wording. Were there other kinds of kwamis?

"Actually…" Tikki continued with a slight frown, "I probably shouldn't be telling you this, but he's the kwami for Chat Noir."

"What?" Marinette gasped. "He's been so close to you this whole time. I mean when you're transformed can you sense each other?"

Tikki nodded. "A little bit, but we can't communicate or anything. And besides, he probably doesn't want to talk to me after what happened years ago."

"What happened years ago?" Marinette asked, deeply curious.

But then they heard footsteps approaching her trap door and Tikki smiled and whispered, "A story for another time," before disappearing somewhere in her room.

"Marinette," her papa said gently, lifting the trap door and revealing a plate of croissants and some orange juice, along with some chocolate spread for the croissants.

"Thought you might want some breakfast, cherie."

Marinette smiled and sat up.

"Thank you Papa, I'll be right down."

"Ah, no need, mon petite biscuit. I'm coming up."

Soon her papa had reached the top of her loft and gracefully set the plate on her lap and the juice on her night stand.

"How are you feeling, Mari?" His eyes crinkled with love when he looked at her and brushed her bangs out of her eyes again, like Tikki had just done.

Marinette spread a little chocolate on her croissant and replied, "Well my head doesn't hurt anymore…"

Tom Dupain smiled sympathetically and patted his own chest.

"But your heart?"

Marinette sighed and took a big bite, not wanting to reply.

"Marinette, if that boy can't see what he is missing now, he is very foolish. I can tell you this, at least, he does very much care about you as a friend. That much is clear. You never know, cherie, friendships can grow into more. Perhaps patience is key. It was with your mother."

He smiled. "She was very stubborn, but I am as irresistible as my food." Her papa wiggled his eyebrows to make her giggle.

"Thanks, Papa," she replied with a smile, and took a drink of juice, secretly feeling that he was wrong. Adrien would not change his mind.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, guys! I love comments, and I am one of the rare fanfiction authors who doesn't mind being asked about updates. For me at least, it can kick my ass into gear and make me post faster sometimes. But that being said, please be nice about it!  
> If you have any questions feel free to ask me! My tumblr is PrincessFreakinCastiel as well and you can always hit me up there. I would prefer that to a pm on fanfiction.net. Thanks for reading! À tout à l'heure, mes petits papillons!


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